Don't Whiz on the Electric Fence

[Porsche-O-Phile]

OK help me settle a bet here...

Inspired by the old Ren & Stimpy cartoon where they get electrocuted for peeing on an electric fence, I bet a friend that simply whizzing on an electric fence would NOT electrocute you, since you're not grounded. Yes, pee will probably conduct fairly well, but once a current flow enters your body via the stream, it has no decent outlet since you're insulated from the ground and therefore, completing the circuit. There's also a better "path of least resistance" through the wires of the fence.

My friend disagrees, saying that if one were to pee on an electric fence, you'd get shocked just as Ren & Stimpy did. Obviously we don't want to test this experimentally (at least not admit to it).

What says the Pelican Brain Trust? Any electric fence experts out there?

[WolfeMacleod]

My father once bet me $10 per second to pee on our electric fence.
I walked away with $100. But I could not pee for a week.

[Rick V]

get vid. I kinda have a feeling it will start with "Hey Ya'll, watch this"

[dhoward]

Mythbusters disproved the electrocution theory a while back, I think.

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally Posted by dhoward

Mythbusters disproved the electrocution theory a while back, I think.

Yes they did. They're often wrong.

[dhoward]

Oops. I was wrong.
SPINOFF: Urinating on an electric fence can cause electrocution. (From Episode 3)

confirmed

Upon retesting the myth on an electric fence it was found to be confirmed, but the rail was still Busted. Distance was the factor, as the urine stream breaks up less at the close range needed for urinating on the fence than urinating on the third rail, thus ensuring a direct line of current between ones body and the electrical source.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

So how are you grounded then? What completes the circuit?

[gassy]

A kid a few years ago here in Chicago peed on the third rail at an El stop and got fried.

[white85carrera]

back in the 70s ( I was maybe 10-12 yrs old) fishing on a buddies pond in the middle of a cow pasture, electric fence around the pond, I remember HOT August day and tommy stood up walked over and whizZed, hit the wire and spent 5 minutes flopping around holding his wanker.....rest of were laughing so hard we could hardly breath....maybe he was faking, but that had to be one of the funniest things I ever saw. He swears it still tingles.

[stomachmonkey]

We had some property upstate with a small garden. The deer used to come in and eat all the veggies.

We put up an electric fence.

We forgot to inform the family dog.

He found out pretty quick.

[fingpilot]

I'd bet that the schwing of the schlong radius has something to do with it too.

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

So how are you grounded then? What completes the circuit?

I would bet you'd need to be barefooted in order to get weiner shock.

Either that, or if one was not barefooted, since the current is travelling along the fence wire and has its own ground, it is able to travel from the power unit to the point at which one is peeing, then follow "the stream" into one's weiner, then back out the stream, to the fence wire, and along the wire back to where there is a ground.

[Superman]

We're constructing a commuter rail system here, including electric light rail trains. Trust me when I tell you that pissing on those overhead wires would not be good experience. I believe we're talking thousands of volts DC.

[TerryH]

As a kid on my uncle's farms, many had electrified fences. The trick was to be the conductor, but not the last one before ground. You would grab someone by the arm, then grab the fence. While holding the fence, you felt almost zero, but the person you've got a hold of would get a good zap.

[speedracing944]

The fence wire itself isn't grounded. The ground terminal on the fencer goes stright to the grounding rod. The positive terminal on the fencer goes to the fence wire. The fence wire is hot and you complete the circuit by YOU touching the ground with your feet while touching the fence with your hand, pee, leg, arm or whatever.

The fence can be a pulse of upwards of 3000 volts.

He will get shocked if he pees on it and if the fence pulses at the right time.

Speedy

[dad911]

I stepped over a low electric fence once, while surveying some property. Never made that mistake again.

[Heel n Toe]

Originally Posted by speedracing944

The fence wire itself isn't grounded. The ground terminal on the fencer goes stright to the grounding rod. The positive terminal on the fencer goes to the fence wire. The fence wire is hot and you complete the circuit by YOU touching the ground with your feet while touching the fence with your hand, pee, leg, arm or whatever.

The fence can be a pulse of upwards of 3000 volts.

He will get shocked if he pees on it and if the fence pulses at the right time.

Speedy

It may be over 3000 volts, but the amperage isn't high enough to kill you... it's not much more than a good jolt, really.

The question remains... if you're not barefooted, how do you get shocked... how are you grounded?

All the times I remember getting shocked as a kid reaching over the low fence around the one-acre lot where my sister's horse roamed (to get a football, baseball, or kickball), I was probably barefooted.

Ours pulsed about every 3 seconds.

[88-diamondblue]

Many years ago I talked my brother into peeing on the fence " No you it won't do a thing." He believed me until the stream hit the wire. Both of us were rolling on the ground for different reasons The next time he had his friend come to the farm he talked him into doing it. Same results: one on the ground in pain the other in laughter.

A good shock never lets you forget. Also crawled under a fence and came up too fast. Hit the lower back and bamm you hit the ground. Never, ever forget when that happens You don't need to be barefoot, most fencers are designed to give a strong jolt to chop weeds that could ground them as in the brand name, Weed Chopper

[Z-man]

I once was going through an electric fence - helping my friend by lifting the barbed wire up that was below the electric wire. He kept telling me to lift it higher and higher - knowing that my hand was getting closer and closer to the live wire.

I still have the scar on the top of my right hand where the wire touched. That was shocking.

Wearing sneakers will NOT prevent grounding, contrary to popular belief. You need a lot more of a buffer to prevent the electricity from transferring through you.

However, I did do this, and was not shocked - if you jump up and then touch the live wire - then you will not feel any shock.

Also - the mythbusters try does have a point - if the stream of pee is long enough, it will break up a little - you need a constant stream of liquid to have a good conducting medium.

-Z-man.

[Zeke]

Apparently, one doesn't have to be "grounded" very well at all to get a shock. A spark plug will bite you big time even if you don't touch the motor or any part of the car/machine and are wearing sneakers. I've never been around an electrified fence, but it seems to be high voltage, low amps, IOW same deal.

Whatcha think?